Bar code price scanners have long been used in various retail stores and are particularly popular in large retail stores. Such scanners have been made in a variety of forms including hand held types, horizontally disposed types and types which are mounted on a vertical surface at various locations about the stores, such as vertical columns disposed along product aisle ways.
This latter mentioned type of bar code price scanner is particularly subject to damage because of its exposed location. In particular, the necessary mounting height above the floor for convenient use and the type of prior mounting systems exposed the scanner to inadvertent collisions, such as with the large stocking type carts employed in retail outlets, as well as other causes.
Since bar code scanners of this type present an expensive item, this exposure to damage represents a serious problem which, prior to the present invention, has not been satisfactorily solved by those in this field. Additionally, a solution to this problem includes the requirement that the mounting of any holder must be relatively simple and easy to accomplish as well as not interfere with the convenient use of the scanner in the normal manner.
A typical and commercially popular type of this form of bar code scanner is manufactured by NCR Corporation located in Dayton, Ohio. This scanner includes a rear mounting plate upon which the bar code scanner is conveniently removably fixed. Prior mounting means merely consisted of attaching this backing plate to a wall surface in a condition which exposed the outwardly extending body of the bar code scanner to inadvertent collisions by patrons or by employees performing their usual stocking duties.
Therefore those retail outlets which wished to employ this type of bar code price scanner in several conveniently located areas throughout the store were left the option of exposing the scanners to frequent damage or deciding not to use this type of scanner at all.